He created all the outfits for Christina Aguilera's current concert tour, including a white stretch satin tuxedo and a bustier covered in Swarovski crystals for the singer and costumes for her band and dancers.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was on the front row at Cavalli's most recent Milan runway show. And when Jay-Z came to the Italian fashion capital last fall, Cavalli lent out his Rolls Royce Phantom so the rap mogul could arrive in style at the designer's restaurant, called Just Cavalli.

The man the British press has nicknamed "the Italian king of bling" says he would much rather outfit pop stars because they're more free-spirited and uninhibited about wearing his body-hugging designs.

"In the music world, there are more strong personalities. They prefer to show themselves," he said during a recent appearance at Saks Fifth Avenue. "Actresses, especially during Oscar time, don't like so much to show themselves. Somebody told me it was superstition. They don't like to look like a winner."

Even though plunging necklines and thigh-high slits are among Cavalli's trademarks, the 66-year-old designer insists his styles have become more refined as he has gotten older.

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"They are no more sexy but sensual. Sexy sometimes is vulgar. Sensual is beautiful," he said.

For fall, his collection has a sophisticated Out of Africa/Cleopatra vibe — featuring safari jackets paired with jodhpurs, "Nile-green" chiffon gowns and plenty of the animal prints that made him famous.

He plays with a masculine/feminine theme by lining a canvas coat in Chantilly lace or creating a low-back cutout in a jacket. But he still revels in designing for women who like to show off their bodies.

During an interview, he perked up when Houston model Diana Hare showcased a hand-beaded tulle gown with a plunging neckline. At $100,000, it's the most expensive gown in his collection.

"We've sold five," he said (none in Houston).

"It was made for a beautiful woman, so now I pull out one name, Diana," he said, in what seemed an attempt to charm the Houston model.

Even with his fractured English, he sounds sincere appreciating the female figure.

"I don't do this for money," he insisted. "I work because I love all the time to create fantasy. I still enjoy to make one piece for a special woman. That is my desire."

Though he creates glitzy clothes, Cavalli has an understated appearance in a black shirt, black tie and jeans. Oversize glasses dominate his craggy face and wavy gray hair. He seems to prefer a low-key style, letting his colorful designs define his public image.

"With my fashion, I believe I make the woman more colorful, that is for sure," he said. "When they are positive, they love color. Unfortunately there are too many negative people in the world. They like boring colors."

Born in Florence, Cavalli had a tough childhood. When he was 2, his father was killed in War War II. His mother struggled to raised him and his sisters. In his youth, painting was the only thing that excited him. Encouraged by a girlfriend, he won attention by silk-screening fabric with floral and animal designs. He also created a printing technique on paper-thin leather that he still uses.

While the fashion crowd in staid Milan wasn't impressed at first, Cavalli's bohemian style attracted the St. Tropez jet set in the early 1970s. French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot often wore his innovative denim designs and fluid leopard prints.

He grumbles that many designers now rip off those prints. "I would much rather be a little bit more exclusive," he said with a shrug. "But you know, that's life."

His flashy styles fell out of favor in the 1980s as power suits and the punk look prevailed. But he came roaring back in the 1990s with heavily embellished skintight styles that combined denim, leather and spandex.

He credits much of his success to his wife, Eva Duringer. While he designs, she concentrates on business. She's overseen a rapid expansion into the Just Cavalli secondary line, children's and home collections, sunglasses, perfume, handbags and two cafes.

The couple met in 1978 when she was a Miss Universe runner-up from Austria. "For many years, she was my icon and my muse. Now she has become part of my work," Cavalli said. "She can tell me what is too much and what is not too much. She's my conscience sometimes — in my life and in my work."

How long does he plan to continue?

"I would like to stop tomorrow. But if I stop tomorrow, I don't know what I do after tomorrow. I think I continue this all my life because my work, my creation, my fashion is my life."

In Houston for only a few hours for the Saks appearance and a runway show at the River Oaks Country Club marking Star of Hope's 100th anniversary, he still found time to appraise Houston women, and he liked what he saw.

"What I love is they are beautiful, rich and simple. They are living in a place where they feel they are happy. The atmosphere is quiet. People are relaxed. I love beautiful women."

Cavalli splits his time between Florence and Milan, where he plans to entertain Lionel Richie and Beyoncé Knowles this month and Shakira next month.

"I make a party for all of them," he said. "You can feel they love me, and I love them."